Machine to make concrete building blocks



June 24, 1930. ES. NICHOLAS 1,766,930 MACHIRE TO MAKE CONCRETE\BUILDING BLOCK-S Filed Feb. 2,1928. 2 spams-sheet 1 26 7 20 I! 8 K60 F6 2 Inventor V I I A E. s.'N|cl |'oLAs ,736,930

MACHINE 'I'O'MAKE CONCRETE BUILD'ING BLOCKS June 24, -192.0.

Filed Feb. 2, 1928 2 Sheets-Shut 2 5 Inventor Patented June 24, 1930 EDWARD snYMoURNIonoLAs, or moivnoncnn'rsn, rumors MACHINE T rrraicnconcanrn summ ts BLocKs Application filed February 2, .1928. Serial No. 251,241.

' This invention relates to a mac 11116 for making concrete building blocks. a It provides a means to make the block shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States, No. 1,629,960 issued to me May 24-, .1927 and is an improvement on the mold and core shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,652,180 issued to me Dec. 13, 1927. This improvement aims to accomplish three purposes or objectives,- each of which is do sirable. First, it aims to provide a face down machine that will make these blocks rapidly; second, it provides a simple means to design the face of the blocks so they will appear well when laid in a wall; third, it provides a means of securing a closed joint etween blocks in a wall with a minimum of labor and mortar. It is necessary to make the core in pieces to make this form of block face down. he face plate is designed so that a block will resemble brick and mortar in a wall. Grooves for mortar are made on the top, bottom and ends of a block; mortar is poured or forced into these grooves when the wall is building. Similar parts have the same number in each figure of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings: Fig. l is a plan view of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation; the dotted lines show the outer side and ends of the mold lJOX swung into unloading position.

3 is a section taken onv line 23-3011 ig. 2. r

Fig. 4- is a section taken on line 4+4 on Fig. 2. Flg. 5 1s a section taken on line 55 on F 1g. 1. F1 6 1s a lan view of an end late for a common block.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of an used in making a corner block.

Fig. Sis a face of a block designed to resemble brick and mortar in a wall.

Fig. 9 is a perspective viewof a corner block designed to resemble brick and mortar in a wall.

Details of the machine are made plain by referring to the numbers in the drawings.

end plate by pressing down lever 16, which is hinged through holes in the back wall.

The main parts of the machine are a frame 11 onwhich is mounted a mold box havmg a core in itof irre ular (lesi n that divides the block longitudinally. The mold box may be opened or closed between the ends 25 and back wall 33; the ends are hinged at 26 to the outer wall 46. The latch 17 on the frame engages lug l8 oneach end to open or close the looxu The latch opens 0 to the frame at and has a rod 32 connects ing itwith the latch. -The spring 15 returns the latch to the closed position. When the latch is open, the outer wall 46, the face plate 141, and the two ends may be swung 6 outward on shaft 45 to the unloading position, shown bydottedlines in Fig. 2. The face plate is in the bottom when the mold box is closed and turns to perpendicular position to unload. The back wa1l33 is attached to the frame. A pallet 24 lays against the outer wall l6 when -making a block. lVhen the block is in unloading position the pallet is used to remove it.

The core divides the block longitudinally into two parts. It forms lug 63 within the block at the middle, and lug 6 1 at the .end I as shown in Fig. 9. Thecommon block has a lug 64 at each end. The middle lug is as widefas the lugs on both ends together. These lugs extend inwardlyfrom one side of ablock toward the opposite'side more than half-of the distance between them. They overlap each other when laid in a wall. Itis necessary to divide the core into sections to make this form of block in a face down machine. This core has fivesections as follows: apiece at each end 27; two main cores 12 withinthe block; and a middle'piece 37 between the main cores, or'larger pieces. The larger pieces of core 12 are parallel with each other, spaced apart andspaced above the bottom and below the top of the mold box, They may be moved with lever 19 whichoperates shaft 20; this moves lever 21 and pin 22which engages and movesthe cores 12. They may be pushed into or withdrawn from the mold box horizontally A rod 13 attached at one end to each piece of core 12, guides it straight.

The middle piece of core 37 rests at each end on a lug 36. One lug is on the pallet 24 and the other on the back wall 33. This middle piece is not very thick; it lays between the larger pieces 12 on a level with their lower side. This piece 37 and the two larger pieces 12 form a cavity in which the middle lug 63 of a block is made. This piece is placed in position after the bottom of the box is filled with concrete and withdrawn from the block after it is turned to the unloading position.

The piece of core 27 attached to each end plate used to make a common block is shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6. Fig. 1 shows it when the box is closed. Fig. 2 shows the back or outside of it. In Fig. 3 the dotted lines show it turned out of the mold box while filling the ends of the box with concrete up to that point; it is also shown in position when the block is in the box. Fig. 4 shows it swung outward with the end plate. Fig. 6 shows it attached to the end plate.

This piece of core 27 is attached to a part 28 of an end plate near the top and at right angle to it. This part of the end 28 is hin ed at 30 near the top on the outside. A latch 29 on the outside holds it in position while it is in the box and until it is removed from the block. This piece of core 27 is the same thickness as the middle piece 37. A piece extends inward from each end plate to meet the top of the larger pieces of core 12, keeping the upper surfaces in line. This piece of core 27 has slots 31 cut on the inner edge through which iron tie rods 3% pass to unite the parts of the block into a unit. Tie rods are used at each end of a common block; and at one end and a side of a corner block. Concrete is shown in the machine in Figs. 3, 4, and 5.

The face of a block designed to resemble brick and mortar in a wall is shown in Fig. 8. A corner block with similar design is shown in Fig. 9. Each face has grooves cut in it showing a design two bricks long and three bricks high with grooves resem bling mortar joints. The design in Fig. 8, has two full bricks at the top and bottom and onepfull brick and two half bricks in the middle row. The design in Fig. 9 has two full bricks in the middle row and a full brick and two half bricks 62 in the top and bottom rows. Both designs are necessary to build a wall. One design is used to lay a course; the course next above it shiftsthe block half its length in one direction and must have the other design to match it and make the proper effect. The half bricks are butted together in a course in a wall and a small amount of mortar forced into the cracks to close them. The grooves 61 at the end of a full brick and at the top and bottom of a block are half as wide as grooves 60 between the bricks. They show full size in a wall. The narrow grooves on the ends of a block are made by pads 48 on the plate shown in Fig. 6. An end plate used to make a common block designed as shown in Fig. 9 will have one pad in the middle row of bricks instead of two pads as in Fig. 6.

The face plate 14 produces blocks showing the faces in panels. It has slots 23 cut through it longitudinally and transversely. It is held together as a unit by webs on the back of it that bridge the slots. Movable steel bars 39 mounted in these slots, slide inwardly and outwardly. The steel bars are fastened to a movable frame 38 which is mounted on the back of the face plate. The steel bars and movable frame are in contact with each other through openings between the webs that span the slots. Shaft 10 is mounted on lugs ld on the back of the face plate. Eccentrics 42 on each end of the shaft engage the movable frame 38. Trusses 4st extend outward from the back of the face plate. Springs a3 are mounted between these trusses and the movable frame. They aid in moving the bars in the slots by keeping the proper tension on the movable parts. Lever l1 operates the shaft which gives motion to the movable frame and bars. The steel bars are pushed into the mold box before it is filled with concrete. They produce the grooves 60 and 61 in the face of the block and divide the face of the block into panels. They are withdrawn from the block after it is tamped and before it is removed from the mold box.

Anend plate 50 is shown in Fig. 7. It is used when making corner blocks having both faces panelled as shown in Fig. 9. Slots are cut through this plate in the same manner and with a design corresponding to the slots in the face plate 1 1. Steel bars 52 are mounted to slide in these slots; they are attached to the movable frame 51 on the back of the end face plate. This end faceplate, like the face plate 14, has the segments thereof held together by webs which bridge the slots. The movable frame 51 has a cam projection 56 on the outside thereof. A stud 54 extends outwardly from the back of the end plate between the cams 56. Lever is pivoted to this stud by cap screw 57 and it engages with the cams 56. Springs are mounted between the back of the end plate and the movable frame. By turning the lever in one direction the steel bars are forced inward into the mold box when the end plate is in use. The springs force the movable frame and steel bars outwardly when the lever is turned in the other direction. These bars are forced inward into the mold box before it is filled with concrete; they are withdrawn after the block is tamped therein, a movable frame 011 the back of the and before the end from the block.

Grooves G5 to receive mortar are provided on the top and bottom of the block running plate is moved away longitudinally near each side of it. Similar tom of a block may be made by tongues 67 on' the back wall and pallet; the grooves on the the ends may be made by tongues 47 on the end plate. hen blocks are laid in a wall these grooves for mortar are matched. with the grooves in adjacent blocks. Mortar is run or forced into the cavity to make a closed joint in the wall.

The process of making a block is. as follows: Close the mold box with the end pieces of core swung outward; fill the bottom with concrete and move the main or larger pieces of core into the box; place irontie rods in each end; fill the middle of the bottom and ends to the top of the larger pieces of core; place the middle piece of core in position and swing the piece of core on each end into the mold box and fill the box. Remove the larger pieces of core and open the box. Turn the mold box to unloading position; remove the middle piece of core; turn each end outward from theblock and remove the pallet with the block on it.

I claim:

1. In a concrete block machine, a mold box mounted on a frame, said box having means to open and close the same and a removable core within the box, the bottom of the box constituting a face plate, said face plate having slots cut through it in design, movable bars mounted in the slots, a movable frame on the back of the face plate having said bars moving therewith, and means to move the bars inward or withdraw them from the box.

2. In a concrete block machine, a mold box mounted on a frame, said box having means to open and close the same and a removable core within said box, the mold box having a face plate that has slots cut through it in design, movable bars mounted face plate, having said bars moving therewith, a shaft mounted on the back of the face plate with one or more eccentrics that en age the movable frame, and a lever to operate the shaft and push the bars inward or withd aw them from the box.

3. In a concrete block machine, a mold box mounted on a frame, said box having means to open and close the same, and a removable core within said box the mold box having a face plate that has slots out through it in design, movable bars mounted in the slots, a movable frame on the back of the face of the faceplate having said bars moving therewith, a shaft mounted on the back of the face plate with one or more eccentrics that engage the movable frame, a lever to operate the shaft, and springs to exert pressure between the movable frame and face plate to assist in moving the bars on withdrawingthcm from the box.

4. In a concrete block machine, a mold box mounted on a frame, means to open and close the same, a removable core within said box, a part of said mold box being a face plate designed by slots cutthrough it, movable bars mounted in said slots, and means to move them inward and outward, in combination with an end plate for a corner block designed by slots out through it, movable bars mounted in saidslots, a movable frame on'the back of the-end plate having said bars moving therewith, a movable lever pinned to a stud on the back of the end plate, said lever being in engagement with a cam projecting from the movable frame whereby to move said frame one way by movement of saidlever in one direction, and springs to exert pressure between the end plate and the movable frame tending to move the latter the other way.

5. In aconcrete block machine, a mold box mounted on a frame having a removable core within. the same, and means to open and close the box, a part of said mold box being a face plate having movable bars mounted in slots out through it in design, a movable frame on the back of the face plate, having said bars moving therewith, a shaft mounted on the back of the faceplate, and having one ormore eccentrics thereon engaging the movableframe, springs to exert pressure between the movable frame and face plate, and a lever to operate the shaft, in combination with an end plate having movable bars mounted in slots that arecut through it in design, a movable frame on the back of the end plate, having said bars moving therewith, the movable frame having aycam thereon, a lever engaging the same, said lever being movably pinnedto a stud on the end plate, and springs compressed between the end plate and movable frame.

6. In a concrete block inachin'e, a mold box mounted on a frame having a removable core within the same, and means to open and close the box, one part of the box being a face plate, the face plate being designed by steel bars mounted in slots cut through it in a design, a movable frame on the back plate moving with the same movable frame said box having plate having said bars moving to make grooves of half size on the edges of a block.

7. In a concrete block machine, -a mold box mounted on a frame, said box having means to open and close the same, and a core within said box that is made in parts and divides, the concrete longitudinally, said core being composed of two rectangular block shaped pieces that are the same in size, parallel with each other, spaced apart and spaced above the bottom and below the top of the box, and a thin piece of core between the rectangular pieces on a level with their lower surface, and a thin piece of core attached to each end plate of the box, extendin g inwardly to meet the rectangular pieces on a level with their upper surface, the two rectangularly block-shaped pieces being insertable and removable horizontally while the box is closed and in loading position, and at least one of the other core pieces being removable perpendicularly after the box is opened.

8. In a concrete block machine, a mold box mounted on a frame, said box having means to open and close the same, and a core within said box that is made in parts and divides the concrete longitudinally, said core being composed of two rectangular block shaped pieces that are the same in size, parallel with each other, spaced apart and spaced above the bottom and below the top of the box, and a thin piece of core between the rectangular pieces on a level with their lower surface, and a thin piece of core attached to each end plate of the box, extending inwardly to meet the rectangular pieces on a level with their upper surface, there being lugs on opposed walls in said box for supporting at least one of the three thin core pieces, said pieces being adapted to be put into the mold box at different stages in the operation oi making a block, and the one piece being arranged to be removed perpendicularly after the box is opened, the two rectangularly block-shaped pieces being movable into and out of the mold box horizontally while the box is closed and in loading position through openings provided in one wall of the box.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

EDNARD SEYMOUR IICHOLAS. 

